A VMware virtual server consists of a configuration file and a virtual hard disk (VHDK) file. The creation, deployment, operation, and migration of the server are abstracted from the hardware. However, backing up the virtual server from these files is a challenge as it can tax the underlying physical resources supporting the virtual environment. There are three approaches to backing up virtual servers:
- Backup the individual virtual machines “from within” as if they were regular standalone hardware servers.
- Backup the physical host server including all of its virtual machine clients.
- Use VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB), in conjunction with backup software, to create snapshots of virtual machines files for backup on a separate proxy server.
The first and third method are the most likely to be used for VMware backup depending on the complexity and resource requirements of the backup processes. An important piece of the puzzle is how individual enterprise backup products integrate with each method. The next note in this two part series will look at how well software from selected vendors integrates these methods.
